Cleaning composition



United States Patent 2,787,596 CLEANING COMPOSITION Daniel Stewart, Uphall, Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland, assignor to Scottish Oils Limited, Glasgow, Scotland, a British company No Drawing. Application July 29, 1953, Serial No. 371,169 Claims priority, application Great Britain August 12, 1952 8 Claims. (Cl. 252-153) This invention relates to new and useful cleaning agents comprising anionic surface active agents.

It is an object of the present invention to provide new and useful cleaning agents. It is a further object to provide single phase liquid cleaning agents comprising water and minerals. Further objects will appear hereinafter.

According to the present invention cleaning agents are provided comprising an alkali metal alkyl sulphate, obtained by the sulphation of a distillation fraction of shale oil, together with water, a mineral oil and a high molecular weight alcohol, preferably cyclohexan-ol or a monoor dimethyl derivative thereof.

According to a modification of this invention the cleaning agent comprises an alkali metal alkyl sulphate, obtained by the sulphation of a distillation fraction of shale oil, together with water, a mineral oil and a diethylene glycol alkyl ether.

Preferably an alkali metal alkyl sulphate is employed which has been obtained by sulphation of a shale oil distillation fraction boiling within the range 180 to 330 C. More particularly it is preferred that the distillation fraction boils over the range 200 to 300 C. Usually sodium alkyl sulphates are employed and a preferred material is obtained in the manner described in British Patent No. 657,598. Thus preferably the alkali metal alkyl sulphate is a sulphate obtained by reacting with sulphuric acid a distillation fraction of shale oil, said fraction boiling within the range 180 to 330 C. and thereafter neutralising the alkyl hydrogen sulphate so obtained by means of an alkali metal base, with or without simultaneous hydrolysis .of dialkyl sulphates.

The sulphuric acid used is preferably of 90-98% strength, and the necessary quantity of acid is run into the oil over a period of 12 hours, with stirring, so as to prevent the temperature rising above 20 C. In general, it is preferred to work between limits of 2.8 volumes of acid per 100 volumes of feed, and 18 volumes of acid per 100 volumes of feed.

The preferred high molecular weight alcohol is dimethyl-cyclohexanol.

The preferred diethylene glycol alkyl ether is diethylene glycol butyl ether, for example, the material known as Butyl-Cellosolve.

The nature of the mineral oil constituent of the composition may be varied according to the primary purpose for which the composition is intended, but in general petroleum fractions are preferred. Suitable fractions are kerosene cuts, kerosene aromatic extracts and white spirit fractions, these fractions being particularly suitable when the primary purposes of the compositions are respectively laundry cleaning agents, paint cleaners and dry cleaning aids. I

Preferably the constituents of the cleaning agents of this invention are employed within the following ranges of proportions, based on the weight of the cleaning agent:

Percent by Weight It is a feature of the present invention that, by the use of the alcohol or ether of high molecular weight, compositions may be obtained containing the metal alkyl sulphate, water and mineral oil, in a single liquid phase, under wider ranges of relative proportions than would otherwise be the case. It has been found that by the use, as a further constituent of the compositions, of an ammoniurn or alkali metal carbonate or sulphate, the quantity of said alcohol or ether, required to form a single liquid phase product, is materially reduced.

Thus according to a further aspect of the present invention, compositions are provided comprising said metal alkyl sulphates, Water, a mineral oil, an alcohol or ether of high molecular weight and an ammonium or alkali metal salt, said salt being a sulphate or carbonate. Preferably said salt constitutes up to 15% by weight of the cleaning agent.

Preferred alkali metal salts are sodium sulphate and sodium carbonate.

The present invention is illustrated but in no way limited by the following examples of representative compositions, percentages being by weight.

These compositions contain, as the sodium alkyl sulphate solution, a material obtained by sulphation of a shale oil distillation fraction and dimethylcyclohexanol.

EXAMPLE 1 A composition suitable for laundry use and for the cleaning of rain-proof garments:

Percent Sodium alkyl sulphate (20% aqueous solution containing up to 5% sodium sulphate) 52 Kerosene (boiling range 165 to 275 C.) 38 Ammonium sulphate 8 Dimethylcyclohexanol 2 EXAMPLE 2 A spotting agent for new fabrics or laundry use:

. Percent Sodium alkyl sulphate (20% aqueous solution containing up to 5% sodium sulphate) 52 Water 15 Kerosene (boiling range 165 to 275 C.) 25 Ammonium sulphate 5 Dimethylcyclohexanol 3 EXAMPLE 3 A dry cleaning aid:

Percent Sodium alkyl sulphate (20% aqueous solution containing up to 5% sodium sulphate) 52.5 Water l5 Ammonium sulphate 5 White spirit (boiling range to 200 C.) 25 Dimethylcyclohexanol 2.5

EXAMPLE 4 A detergent for use on metal surfaces, as in garage use, or on road surfaces, as in the cleaning of aircraft runways:

3 EXAMPLE..5.

Paint cleaner, for use in the cleaning of vehicles:

. Percent Sodium alkyl sulphate (20% aqueous solution containing up to 5% sodium sulphate) 36.2 Kerosene extract tray cut (boiling'range 190 to 270 C.) 15.5 Soda ash 5.2 Water 41.0 Dimethylcyclohexanol 2.1

EXAMPLE 6 This example illustrates the amounts of a high molecular weight alcohol required .to form a single phase liquid cleaning agent, according to the invention (a) when employing ammonium sulphate (together with sodium suiphate contained in the sodium alkyl sulphate solution), (b) in the absence of ammonium sulphate.

In each case the minimum amount of dimethyl cyclohexanol was employed, the composition of the products being shown in the following table:

1. A cleaning composition consisting essentially of the following ingredients by weight:

Percent An alkali metal alkyl sulphate obtained by reacting a shale oil fraction boiling within the range of ISO-330 C. with sulphuric acid of 90-98% strength at a temperature under C. followed by a neutralization of the resulting alkyl hydrogen sulphate by treatment with an alkali metal base About 30-70 Percent A mineral oil boiling within the range of about 150-275 C "About A high molecular weight oxygen-containing organic solvent selected from the grouplconsisting of diethylene glycol alkyl others, cyclohexanol and monoand di-methyl cyclohexanol' About 1-10 An ammonium salt selected from the group consisting of ammonium carbonate and ammonium sulphate About 5-l5 Water Up to about 50 2. A cleaning composition as specified in claim 1 in which the oxygencontaining organic solvent is diethylenc glycol butyl ether.

3. A cleaning composition as specified in claim 1 in which the mineral oil is a kerosene fraction of petroleum.

4. A cleaning composition as specified in claim 1 in which the mineral oil is a kerosene aromatic extract.

5. A cleaning composition as specified in claim 1 in which the mineral oil is a white spirit fraction of petroleum.

6. A cleaning composition as specified in claim 1 containing ammonium sulphate.

7. A cleaning composition as specfied in claim l containing ammonium carbonate.

8. A cleaning composition as specified in claim 1 in which said distillation fraction boils over the range 200- 300 C.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,355,591 Flaxman Aug. 8, 1944 2,531,166 Shaw Nov. 21, 1950 2,708,185 Stewart May 10, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 657,598 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1951 

1. A CLEANING COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS BY WEIGHT: PERCENT AN ALKALI METAL ALKYL SULPHATE OBTAINED BY REACTING A SHALE OIL FRACTION BOILING WITHIN THE RANGE OF 180-330*C. WITH SULPHURIC ACID OF 90-98% STRENGTH AT A TEMPERATURE UNDER 20*C. FOLLOWED BY A NEUTRALIZATION OF THE RESULTING ALKYL HYDROGEN SULPHATE BY TREATMENT WITH AN ALKALI METAL BASE ABOUT 30-70 A MINERAL OIL BOILING WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 150-275*C. ABOUT 10-50 A HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT OXYGEN-CONTAINING ORGANIC SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF DI ETHYLENE GLYCOL ALKYL ETHERS, CYCLOHEXANOL AND MONO- AND DI-METHYL CYCLOHEXANOL ABOUT 1-10 AN AMMONIUM SALT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMMOMIUM CARBONATE AND AMMONIUM SULPHATE ABOUT 5-15 WATER UP TO ABOUT 50 